Locking center pin for railway cars



March 1, 1949.

K. WILLIAMS LOCKING CENTER PIN FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed July 4, 1945 March1, 1949. K, W|| IAM$ 2,463,343

LOCKING CENTER PIN FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed July 4, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2i lVen/or: Je/i/L Wzl/imma.

members 3, making up the body bolster;

Patented Mar. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES lATl-.N'I'y OFFICE LOCKING CENTERPINFORRAILWAY CARS KeithA Williams, Buialo, N. Y.

Application July 4, 1945, Serial No. 603,135

7 Claims. 1.

My invention relates to improved locking center pin means for railwaycars.

One of the objectsV of my invention is to provide a one-piece centerpin. forrailway cars, together with positivey locking; means forV the;center pin, to prevent4 the displacement of the center. pin and theseparation of the car body andv truck during operation.

A further object is* to facilitate the assembly andv disassembly ofv thecar body andi truck by the provision of estructura in which the centerpin can be conveniently and readily applied from the` upper sidefof. thetruckibolster and the, under side ofv the-body bolster and then locked.

Other objects ofthe invention will appear from the following descriptionand claims in. connection, with the. accompanying drawings whichillustrate one embodimentot the invention.

Referring to the. accompanying drawings.

Fig. l. is a central vertical section transversely of the car throughthe body bolster and truck bolster, and illustrating. the. lockingcenter pin in4 position;v

Fig. 2' is. a horizontal' section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of that portion o i the truck bolster shownin Fig. l, and illustrating the center pin inserted from above andbefore it is rotated into locking position;

Fig. 4 is'atop plan View of the structure shown in Fig; 3; with theintermediate flange partly broken away to illustrate the locking lugs;

Fig'. 5l is a sectional" view similar to Fig. l, but illustrating amodi'cation of the center pin and bolster structure to provideadditional locking means for the pin;

Fig. 6 is a. plan View of the. center plate used in. connection` with.theV modication shown in Fig. 51;. and

Eig. '7. is; avertical'. sectional View of; the, truck bolster andAlocking pin, andillustrating another modification of the lockingi means.

Thisv inventiony involves center pin means for the4 rotative connectionbetween the. cary body andthe truck of railway cars. In the drawings,the car body is; represented by the body bolster A, andthe truck by thebolster Bf suicient of these parts` being shownto illustrate theinvention. The Center sill If of the carbody hasV the usual centerfiller; 2 for the center pin, and twok diaphragm The centerller andcenter sill bear upon a center plate. 5l which in turn. is seated, in anannular recessed bearing liv on the upper side of thetruck holster B..The center; filler` has a center bore 'l 2 in which the center pin C isvpositioned. Likewise, the truckbolster has a space or bore 3 for the.center pin and this bore has an opening 9 on the under side. of thebolster to permit access to the pin for rotating the pin, as willhereinafter appear.

The center bore 1' of the` center filler has. a pair of instanding. lugsor flanges I0. These lugs oi flanges are preferably segmental shaped anddisposed diametrically opposite, sov that the. spaces between them areofsubstantiallythe same shape and, size.; Inv like manner, the. centerbore or space 8. o thetruck bolsteryhas a pair of segmental shapedinstanding lugs or anges Il".

In accordance with my invention, l' providexa one-piece center pin Ciwhich, in cooperation with the lugs Il) and Il' ofv the bolsters, isdesigned to preventl the vertical separation of the car body fromA thetruck during the operation oi the car. This; center pinv is preferablyva bar cylindrical in shape andl provided at its upper and lower endswith lugs or flanges IZ'and i3 respectively. These lugs l-Ly and l3-are' preferably segmental in shape and are disposedV diametricallyopposite. They are suii'ciently lessin size so that they'will freelypass (Fig. 3) betweenY the lugs l0 and Hi ofthe belsters duringtheassembly and disassembly op?- eration ofthe car body andtruck.

Inv the assembled or normal condition of the car body and truck, asshown more clearlyV in Fig. 1, the center pin lugs l2 andv l3occupypositions above and belowthe lugsl5 and Il of the body bolster and thetruck bolster respectively, and thus provide a positiveA lock between.the body bolster and truck bolster against vertical displacement orseparation. However, the distance between the under side of thelugs l2and the upper'side of thelugs I3: is sufficiently greater than thedistance between the upperside ofI the lugs t0 andthelower-side of thelugs H to-permitv limited longitudinal movement of the center pin forthe purpose oflockingr or unlocking the pin with respect torotation onits ownaXis.- This locking means consists of small, diametricallyo-pposedlugs |4- whichv are adapted to engagez in recesses l5 in theupper-faces, ofV the segmental flanges H', and.l theselugs; I4 are,positioned: in thev same diametrical; line; as;` that of` the' :flangesl2* and- I'Sg. so: that they do not engage in the" ree cesses. V5, untilthe pin has. been rotated on: its a-Xis: to;` position; thev lugs' I2;and' I3 in vertical alignment with' the respect to the. lugs l0' andi;H'. In.: otherv words; aftertherpin` has been' inserted downwardly in.the.1 truck. bolster, passing: the anges. l3fbetweentheali1gs Il on the.bolstergthe 3 pin must then be rotated a quarter turn to brin the lugsI4 into alignment with the locking recesses I5, and this rotation of thepin brings the flanges I3 into alignment with the lugs or flanges II.When the lugs I4 are thus rotated into registration with the lockingrecesses l5, the pin is dropped to engage said lugs I4 in the recesses.

Thus, after the pin has been rotated and dropped to engage the lugs I4and recesses I5, the center pin will be locked against any tendency torotate incident to the relative movement of the car bolster and Icartruck during the operation of the car. The center pin is provided withan intermediate circular center flange I6 which is positioned just abovethe locking lugs I4 and which is substantially of the same diameter asthe flange lugs I2 and I3. This intermediate flange rests upon the upperside of the segmental lugs I4 of the truck bolster to support the pinagainst further downward movement. The intermediate flange occupies acircular recess Il in the upper side of the bolster, which issufijciently deep to permit the vertical movement of the pin forengaging or di-sengaging the locking lugs I4 with respect to therecesses I5 Without raising the flange above the top of the bolster. Theclearance between the under side of the flange lugs II and the upperside of the flanges I3 is likewise sufficient to permit the verticalmovement of the pin.

When the car body and truck are to be assembled, the center pin is firstlinserted downwardly from the upper side of the bolster, the ilanges I'3being passed between the segmental flanges I I of the bolster until saidflanges I3 are below the flanges I I. The car body is then lowered untilthe bolster center filler rests upon the center plate bearing. Theilange lugs I2 on the upper end of the pin pass between the lugs I0during this lowering movement of the car. It is necessary to hold thepin up suflciently so that the locking lugs I4 will ride upon the top ofthe flange lugs II when the pin is rotated.

For this reason, the pin is provided with additional lugs I8 which aredisposed at about 90 with respect to the locking lugs I4, so that whenthe pin is ilrst inserted these lugs I8 will rest upon the flange lugs II. After the car body has been lowered to position on the center platebearing, the pin is rotated 90 to align the main locking flanges I`2 andI3 with the bolster flanges I0 and II. During this rotation of the pin,the guide lugs I8 hold the pin up until the locking lugs I4 ride on thelugs II and register with the recesses I5, whereupon the pin will dropan-d engage the lugs I4 and recesses I5 and rest the intermediate flangeI6 upon the lugs II.

In di-sassembling the car and truck, the reverse handling of the pintakes place, that is, the pin is rst raised to release the lugs I4 fromthe recesses I5, and the pin then rotated 90 to align the flange lugs I2and I'3 with the spaces between the lugs I0 and Il. The car body maythen be raised clear of the pin. The ends I9 and 20 of the pin arepreferably squared in section to provide suitable engagement for anappropriate wrench or other tool by which the pin may be turned. If thepin is to be rotated or turned at its upper end, access may be hadbetween the center filler and the center sill. is to be turned byapplication of the tool to the lower end of the pin, ac-cess is had tothis lower end through the opening 9 of the truck bolster.

In the'modiilcation shown in Fig. 5, the inter- --mediate ilange I6' issumciently thicker than the If it' flange I6 of the previously describedstructure, so that when the pin is first inserted and the lugs I8 restedupon the lugs II, it will hold the center plate 5 a fraction of an inchabove the center plate bearing on the bolster. When the car body islowered to the center plate, it still will be that fraction of an inchabove its seat on the bolster. The pin is then rotated a quarter turnuntil the main llange lugs are aligned and the locking lugs I4 reach therecesses I5, whereupon the pin will drop to engage these locking lugswith the recesses. The car body can then follow ldown with theintermediate flange I5' until the center plate is seated in its bearing.The purpose of this arrangement is to leave less vertical movement ofthe pin than the height or thickness of the locking lugs I4, so thatduring the operation of the car, if the pin should bounce, the lugs I4cannot become disengaged from the recesses and permit the pin to rotateinto unlocked position.

In disassembling the car body and truck, the reverse operation occurs,that is, the body is first raised a fraction of an inch off the centerplate bearing and the pin can then be raised and rotated into positionto free the flanges I'2 and I3 from the lugs I0 and II.V In thismodified construction, the center plate 5', as shown in Figs. 5 and 6,is provided with an opening 2| which i-s narrowed sufilciently tooverlie the flange I5' so that the plate can be rested on said ilange.

In the modication shown in Fig. 7, the intermediate flange I6 isdispensed with and the locking lugs I4 are positioned on the pin belowthe main flange lugs I3. In addition to this, the truck bolster isprovided with an instanding circular flange 22 having the lockingrecesses I5 formed therein in proper position. In this form, the lockinglugs I 4 rest upon the flange 22 when 4U the pin is first inserted, andafter the car body combination of a body center sill filler having acenter pin bore and segmented lugs instanding in said bore, a truckbolster having a space for a center pin and instanding segmental lugs,acenter pin having segmental flanges adapted to be passed between thelugs in said bore and space and the pin rotated to engage the flangeswith said lugs to lock the center ller and bolster against separation,and additional lugs on said pin projecting into the center pin space insaid truck bolster and engageable with bolster lugs therein when the pinis rotated to a position to lock the pin against rotation.

2. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a bodycenter sill filler having a center pin bore and segmental lugsinstanding in said bore, a truck bolster having a space for a center pinand instanding segmental lugs, a

vcenter pin having segmental flanges adapted to be passed between thelugs in said bore and space and the pin rotated to engage the flangeswith said lugs to lock the center filler and bolster against separation,additional lugs on saidy pin engageable with the bolster when the pin isrotated to a position to lock the pin against rotation, and anintermediate'ilange onv the pin adapted to bear upon the bolstersegmental lugs to support the pin.

3. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a car bodybolster and a truck bolster, each having a center bore for a center pinand each having instanding segmental lugs, a center pin havingcorresponding segmental lugs insertable in said bores between thesegmental lugs therein and the pin rotated to position to overlie thesegmental lugs in said bores, means on the pin for supporting it in thetruck bolster when its segmental lugs are aligned to pass between thelugs in the bolster, and means on the truck bolster cooperating withsaid supporting means for locking the pin in its rotated position.-

4. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a car bodybolster and a truck bolster, each having a center bore for a center pinand each having instanding segmental lugs, a center pin havingcorresponding segmental lugs insertable in said bores between thesegmental lugs therein and the pin rotated to position to overlie thesegmental lugs in said bores, said truck bolster instanding segmentallugs having locking recesses therein, and locking lugs on said pinadapted to engage the lugs between said recesses prior to rotation ofthe pin to support the pin in the bolster and to register with andengage said locking recesses in the position in which said pin isrotated for locking the pin against rotation on its axis.

5. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a car bodybolster and a truck bolster, each having bores for a center pin, acenter pin comprising a cylindrical rod insertable both in said truckbolster bore from the upper side thereof and into the body bolster borefrom the under side thereof, instanding lugs in said bores spaced apartcircumferentially, correspond ing locking flanges on said pin adapted tobe passed between the circumferentially spaced lugs in said bores andthen rotated into position overlying said lugs in the bores inlongitudinal alignment therewith, notches in the upper face of the lugsin the bore of the truck bolster, and locking projections on the pinadapted to engage the truck bolster prior to rotation of the pin and toengage said notches in the rotated position of the pin.

6. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a car bodybolster and a truck bolster, each having bores for a center pin, acenter pin comprising a cylindrical rod insertable both in said truckbolster bore from the upper side thereof and into the body bolster borefrom the under side thereof, instanding lugs in said bores spaced apartcircumferentially, corresponding locking flanges on said pin adapted tobe passed between the circumferentially spaced lugs in said bores andthen rotated into position overlying said lugs in the bores inlongitudinal alignment therewith, notches in the upper face of the lugsin the bore of the truck bolster, locking projections on the pin adaptedto engage said notches in the rotated position of the pin, a circularintermediate flange on the pin adapted to bear upon the instanding lugsin said truck bolster bore, said flange and segmental lugs on the pinbeing spaced apart longitudinally of the pin to permit a limitedlongitudinal movement of the pin to engage or disengage the locking lugsfrom the notches.

7. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a car bodybolster and a truck bolster relatively rotatable and a center platebearing between said holsters, locking flanges in both of said bolsters,a center pin comprising a cylindrical bar having locking lugs at itsends adapted to be inserted in said bolsters beyond said flanges andthen rotated axially to overlie the flanges in locking relation thereto,said flanges in said truck bolster having notches in their upper facesand said pin having projections and adapted to register with saidnotches when the pin is rotated to position, and to engage said notchesby the vertical movement of the pin,

and a circular flange on the pin positioned to prevent the centerbearing plate from seating until the pin has been rotated to positionand the pin moved vertically downward to engage the projections andnotches.

KEITH WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,699,521 Cork Jan. 22, 19291,730,824 OConnor Oct. 8, 1929 1,765,835 Johnson et al June 24, 1930

